Before Aqualad
by Tempest-001
Summary: An account of how Garth met Arthur, the Aquaman on his road to becoming Aqualad. Open to Comments and Criticism.


Before Aqualad

Note: This continuity happens in the Pre-52 Pre-Crisis era.

My take on Garth's backstory.

Special captions; ((Telepathy)) (Not Straight English)

It had been with him forever. A simple voice to fill the void. It instructed him, taught him how to speak and how to act. The person behind the voice was real, he knew that. The person had left signs, markings, showing his words were true.

Garth had followed this voice for as long as he could remember, far longer that he had even known how to speak. The voice had taught him things like that. How to speak their language, and the language of the animals.

The voice helped him often… and he learned to never question the voice's intentions. If the voice said to swim, he was supposed to respond how far? He had to trust the voice. If he disobeyed the voice, he got hurt. Sometimes, it was by an animal, other times, bruises would just appear.

Garth got to know the voice well, so he didn't question it when it told him to approach a group of humanoids.

Garth tried to give the greeting he had used for with the voice, but they turned on him with surprise.

They had grabbed him, and taken him with them. He didn't understand it at the time, but he soon realized what was going on. They stuffed him into a capsule, and sealed it from the outside, trapping him.

Then, they shot the capsule to the surface, where the fiery sun beat upon it, heating the small prison.

Garth felt the air grow thin, as he tried to call for the voice. It was too late, and he passed out, only ever knowing the voice.

The next thing he knew, Garth woke up. Breeze blew over his face, sharp with the smell of salt. He was laying on wooden planks, facedown, and outside the capsule prison.

"Look, he's coming to." A female voice remarked.

Garth felt himself being turned over, as two blonde people stared back at him. They were one Male, one Female, both with bright blonde hair. The Male was wearing an orange shirt, with green pants, while the woman was wearing a purple shirt, with white pants. The shirt matched her eyes, which were a vibrant and stunning violate.

"Hello," The Male whispered gently, looking with concern at Garth.

Garth shot up, getting severally dizzy as he did so, causing him to sink back down.

"Hey, it's okay… We're here to help you." The man whispered. Garth was unconvinced, still staring at the two.

((What do you want?)) Garth asked, using telepathy, the language he had used with the voice.

((I… WANT… HELP… YOU.)) The male replied, seemingly shouting in telepathy. Garth inched away, wincing at the volume. ((YOU… UNDERSTAND?))

((What do you want from me?)) Garth asked, still skeptical.

((NOTHING… WE… WANT… HELP… YOU…)) The Male seemed to be having a hard time using telepathy, but was getting his message across. Garth looked to the lady, and having never seen a human female before, was quite curious.

((What type of creature are you?)) He asked, and was bewildered when she didn't respond.

((SHE… CAN'T… USE… TELEPATHY…)) The Male answered, causing Garth to furrow his brow.

"(Can you speak dolphin? They're pretty like you. Are you part dolphin?)" Garth asked, speaking in the rapid squeaks of the dolphin language.

"Can you speak English?" She asked, though Garth couldn't understand.

((YOU… SPEAK… ENGLISH?)) The male asked, seeming curious.

((No, what is English? Who are you?)) Garth wondered.

((ENGLISH… IS… ONE… LANGUAGE… MY… NAME… IS… ARTHUR… THIS… IS… LISA.)) The man introduced, gesturing first to himself, then the woman.

"We want to help." Lisa stated, despite the fact he couldn't understand her.

((CAN… WE… HELP… YOU?)) Arthur asked, putting out his hand, palm up as a sign of peace. Garth was uncertain, but the voice didn't tell him either way, so he took Arthur's hand. Arthur helped him stand up, and the two led him to a quaint house next to a lighthouse.

((Is this where you live?)) Garth asked, looking at it in wonder.

((YES…) Arthur replied, still telepathically shouting.

((Do you two live together? Are you partners? Do you make out? Do you have offspring? Or do you live here alone?)) Garth asked in rapid fire, not letting up for a second. Arthur looked down at him confused, obviously not able to follow all of it.

((I… KNOW… SOMEONE… I… WANT… YOU… TALK… TO.)) Arthur replied, ushering Garth inside. Inside the house, was Martian Manhunter, who was responding to Arthur's call.

"He only speaks in telepathy." Arthur told J'ohn. "Well, he also speaks dolphin, but not English, or any other human language."

"Where did you find him?" J'ohn asked impartially.

"In a capsule in the water. It was airtight, and he was suffocating." Lisa responded.

"Did it look alien?" J'ohn continued questioning.

"No, it was Atlantean. They dispose of mutants infants that way." Lisa responded, a bit of fire in her eyes.

"He doesn't look like an infant." J'ohn remarked.

"That was our concern. If he had been an infant, we could have found him a normal home, but at this age…" Arthur left the rest of the thought unsaid.

((Are you talking about me?)) Garth asked, after being silent this whole time. ((Did I do something wrong?))

((NO!)) Arthur answered loudly.

(Lower your voice.)) J'ohn reproved, giving Arthur a side glance.

((SORRY?)) Arthur said slightly softer.

((Now to you,)) J'ohn turned to Garth. ((Can you hear me?)) Garth nodded excitedly, looking into J'ohn's eyes.

((What's your name?)) J'ohn asked.

((Garth,)) he responded, cheerfully. ((Can I ask you a question?))

((Yes,)) J'ohn answered gently.

((Why is you skin dark? It looks like the weavers.)) Garth said, touching J'ohn's face.

(Weavers?) John asked, both in telepathy and out loud.

((The long, darkish things that aren't black and come up from the ground and you can twist them together to make all sorts of things.)) Garth explained, miming it out with his hands.

((Seagrass?)) J'ohn tried.

((What's that?)) Garth wrinkled his small nose, making an odd expression.

((Never mind. My skin is this color because I'm from outer space.)) J'ohn explained patiently.

((You mean, from above the edge?)) Garth wondered, looking up.

((What's the edge?)) J'ohn asked, looking down curiously.

((It's the top of the universe, if you go beyond it, the sun hits you and you die quickly.)) Garth explained. ((That's where those people sent me, beyond the edge. Is that where we are right now? "Outer space?"))

((No, but it does seem like you're above the edge. So tell me, Garth, who sent you up here?)) J'ohn got to the root of the problem.

((The Voice… He told me to go to those people. And they sent me up here. He's the one who taught me how to speak.)) Garth replied.

((Have you ever seen the voice?)) J'ohn asked.

((No, but he helps me. But… he told me not to go beyond the edge, and now he's not talking to me. I think he's mad at me.)) Garth hung his head a little.

((Is this voice taking good care of you? Does he ever hurt you?)) J'ohn probed.

((Well, the voice taught me how to do things, then he expects me to do them.)) Garth explained, to the best of his ability.

((And if you don't?)) J'ohn wondered.

((I get hurt…)) Garth responded softly.

((What does it do?)) J'ohn demanded.

((Well, a while ago, he wanted me to eat something new, so he told me to hurt a fish, then eat it. I didn't, and he got mad.)) Garth retold.

((What did it do?)) J'ohn restated. Garth looked a little sheepish, but pushed out his forearm, where it was obvious a bone had been broken and had healed incorrectly.

((I will make sure he can't hurt you again.)) J'ohn promised.

((How? He's everywhere! I've tried to run away from him before, but he's here!)) Garth aggressively pointed to his head. Fingers, grasping his hair and tugging slightly in pain. ((He's in my head.))

((I won't let him hurt you.)) J'ohn assured, lifting the boy's chin. Then he turned to the other adults.

"We're taking him to the watchtower. There he can begin learning English. Once done that, we'll see where to go from there." J'ohn announced.

"Okay…" Arthur and Lisa nodded, as J'ohn escorted Garth away to the teleporter.

"You know it's funny." Lisa started, turning to Arthur.

"What is?"

"When people talk in telepathy, it's all mind, but their faces still move!" Lisa laughed, watching Arthur roll his eyes.

"Remind me again why I work with you?" Arthur sighed.

"Because I'm the best." Lisa smiled, leaving. Arthur rolled his eyes again, before leaving himself.

(Author's note;

To all who may not know, the voice is Atlan, a interdimensional imp who kept Garth from being feral during his time in isolation. Never quite liked the guy, but he is imperative to Garth's pre-52 backstory, so he had to be added.)


End file.
